First Night
by KitsunexMaxwell
Summary: Prequel to Last Night. Because Makino was always Shank's favorite girl. :3 Please Read and Review. romantic Shanks X Makino pairing


**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes, no money was ever made off of it.

**First Night**  
KitsuneMaxwell

The day was dull, terribly slow for business. _I guess that's what happens when your main customer for the past two months are currently out to sea. _Makino, the owner of the tavern she was in thought as she was wiping down the bar again despite it being already clean.

"I can't believe they call me 'Anchor'," huffed her only 'patron', a six year old boy from the village. He awkwardly sat on a stool that was made for an adult, although she was on the wrong side of the bar, Makino could image his legs hanging over the side, no where close to the ground or the dowels in between the legs that was about half way down their length.

"Wasn't that because you swore to be a pirate and you swam after them when they left? And instead of swimming, as soon as you could no longer touch, you started sinking like a rock." _And Captain Shanks had to jump overboard to save you, although knowing that guy, you'll never hear the end of it. _ She finished in her mind.

The boy shot her a glare that obviously stated, 'You're not helping.'

"Oh, Luffy. I'm sorry. The only thing you need to do now is learn how to swim and prove them wrong." She reproached the subject carefully, not wanting to further upset the boy.

"Oh! Miss Makino! That's perfect! I'm going to learn how to swim." He beamed proudly at himself, as if he just thought that up by himself. A glint of determination shone in his eyes.

She smiled fondly at him.

"I think I'll start now."

Her smile faltered. "It's getting dark, maybe you should try tomorrow. Your mother is probably waiting for you at home with dinner ready."

Luffy's eyes lit up and an even bigger grin lighted up his face. "Oh boy! Meat!" With surprising grace, he slipped down to the floor and was halfway out the door when he crowed. "G'night, Makino! See ya tomorrow!"

"Good night..." the door closed. "...Luffy." Makino finished and looked down at the empty glass that once held milk. _At least it's something to do_. She thought and turned to take it to the back area to wash it and return it to it's proper place.

"Pirates!" A call came clear from the docks and seemed to fill the air of the tavern.

Makino smiled to herself and stopped in mid-step. _Poor Luffy, he's probably already home by now_, the thought strayed in her mind before she quickly went back to finishing the task of washing the glass. Her pace was more hurried as a simple equation came to mind.

Pirates + Tavern Busy As Hell.

"More grog, Makino!" A voice called out from one of the tables.

"Coming!" She called, the muscles in her upper arms bulging slightly as she hauled a barrel of grog from the cellar to behind the bar. She hammered the tap home and started pouring the alcohol into stein glasses, readying them for her customers.

The captain of the pirate crew sat at the bar, spared a glance to the owner every now and then but mostly keeping an eye on his crew. Although he was sitting, one could tell he had height to him, his shoulders were slightly broad and his build muscular in it's leanness. Under a straw hat that was constantly atop of his head, his eyes were a deep blue, his left eye had three scars run diagonal from forehead to cheekbone and it appeared to be a miracle he even had his left eye in tact. His hair was bright red, very red and that was the reason for his pirate name, 'Shanks the Red'.

When Makino had a chance, to snuck behind the bar and took a sip of a glass of iced tea that she had sitting on a shelf behind it.

"Busy, huh?" Shanks leaned back to the bar, tilting his head back to look at her upside down.

Makino smiled at the pirate's silliness. "Yes, Captain Shanks." She found herself wanting to run her fingers through his hair so busied herself with getting a rag to start drying some of the glasses that her help was bringing back from the back area that was washed. She found herself stuck with what to say to him, when dealing with pirates, did you **really** want to know any details about their voyages? She decided she didn't. "Hope you had smooth sailing."

He grinned at her. "Aye. How was business with us away?"

"Dead." She replied honestly.

Shanks opened his mouth to make a comment, but one of his drunken crew mates started a pirate song--

_**Fifteen men on a Dead Man's chest... Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...**_

Shanks and the rest of her patrons chimed in. The roar of sound was giving the tavern owner goosebumps. But when the song ended there was a call for more grog, she more than willingly obliged, a smile on her face as she served her cheerful customers.

XX Break to Later in the Night... XX

Hours after, when Makino kicked everyone out of the tavern so that she could close, he retuned to his ship with the rest of his crew. He sang and drank and listened to some of the 'remember when we...' stories before slipping back to his cabin. His room was clean, and spartan. A bed, a desk, and one trunk. On the wall there was a single hook for his straw hat to rest on the odd night he tossed and turned too much to wear the hat and get sleep at the same time. The only thing out of place was a brown package that was on his bed, he picked it up and tucked it under his arm.

Cigarette smoke from the open door indicated that he was not alone. "Going out for the night, Captain?" Shanks turned to see his first mate, Ben Beckman leaning in the door frame, arms crossed in front of his chest and cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Shanks nodded. "Let's keep this town pirate-friendly, eh? No rough shit. I'm not asking for angelic behavior, but definitely no murdering, shooting up the place or stealing from the businesses."

"You got it, Shanks." Ben chuckled. "I'll get the word around. We know what happens when we go against **your** word."

"Good man. I'm off. Don't wait up for me." He grinned and winked as he walked past Ben and into the darkness of the night. He had no fear of leaving his ship now, his first mate was more then capable of keeping everyone in a relative line.

He walked from his ship back to the tavern. It had only been a couple of months now that he called this town his base, but with nearly daily trips to the tavern, he could practically walk there blind folded. When he saw the dimmed lights, his grin faded as he thought he may have already missed her, a quick window check proved his fears wrong.

The tavern owner, Makino had her back to him, slightly bent as she was wiping a table down. His grin returned with full force, noticing her finely shaped bum, a rare treat considering she spent most of her time on the opposite side of the bar to him. When he got an eyeful, and the idea of her catching him peeking at her through the window occurred to him, he decided it would probably be best if he waited at a safe distance, such as across the street.

He closed his eyes for a moment and thought about the tavern owner: her heart shaped face; her big dark eyes and pale skin; her raven black hair and slim body under the long clothes she usually wore. She smiled and joked with the best of them, but never she flaunted herself like some tart and for that... Shanks felt something akin to respect for her. He smiled and felt warm despite the chill of the night and sea air mixing together in the atmosphere. His heart paused briefly when finally, the door to the tavern opened and Makino slipped out, attention only on her task at hand of locking the tavern bar.

_It's now or never..._ he thought to himself and took a deep breath. Nothing like the prospect of getting rejected to get a guy hesitating. He tightened his arm and held the package closer to him as he emerged from the shadows, striding towards her purposefully.

Makino didn't even look when she turned around and nearly bumped into the approaching pirate captain. She gave a small yelp of surprise, instead of shrinking away, she brought her tiny hands up in fists.

Shanks bursted into laughing and stumbled back, one arm to block any attacks the tavern owner might give him. "Whoa! Calm down, didn't mean to frighten you. Makino, it's me." He grinned broadly at her,

Makino stared at him in disbelief, she had no idea why the straw hatted captain would be standing here in the middle of the street. She tilted her head, amusement apparent on her face. "Why, Captain Shanks, were you waiting for me?"

He dipped his head, making it so his eyes could not be seen from under his hat's brim. "Would I be doing a thing like that?" His lips were in a grin, despite from what else Makino said that was screaming, _guilty as charged_.

She smiled back at him, not knowing exactly what she should be doing. It wasn't the first time that someone was waiting for Makino to close shop, but it had been a while since it was someone she thought was handsome and attracted to. She shook her head and waved good bye to him as she started walking home.

"Wait!" Shanks wailed. "Okay! I was waiting for you, happy?"

"Happy? I haven't even been properly greeted yet, Captain." Her tone was light and very teasing. "Do you always woe women with scaring them to death and lying to them afterwards?"

"Scaring you to death? Woman, you're still alive and feisty..." Her clearing her throat stopped him. He laughed, enjoying the conversation but realizing the way this was going, he'd be going back to his ship, gift and all. He gave her an exasperated sigh and shook his head, allowing himself to play this game that started between them. "Good evening, Miss Makino." His voice was that tendency of seriousness and merriment. "Should I walk you home?" He offered her an arm.

She smiled and bowed her head graciously. "Of course, Captain." She murmured, accepting his arm. She looked up at him and noticed his lost look. She smiled and laughed softly. "This way, my home is right over there." She pointed the proper way to her home before taking a step and slightly tugged at his arm. "Do you also lead people to places you have no idea where you're going?"

"If I knew where I was going all the time, how could I ever have any adventures?" He protested, grinning widely as his legs worked under him to keep in step with her. Shanks paused when she was looking very seriously into his face, her dark eyes searching for something there. For a moment they walked in silence before stopping in front of her cottage.

"It's getting late, Captain Shanks." She answered quietly, eyes still looking into his.

"Please... just Shanks."

A smile broke on her face. Making his grin wider. "It's getting late... Shanks."

"Can I come inside?" He quietly asked. "There still is some night to save." He leaned in closer to her, bringing up the hand that was not being put to use clutching the package to him and touched her face. Her skin felt so smooth, he bent his head, to be right next to hers and inhaled, his nose under her ear, next to her neck and smelled her. Among the smoke and smell of the tavern he smelled something fresh and clean, reminding him of after a good rain.

She brought a hand up and ran her fingers through his bangs. She leaned in to smell him and was surprised at what it was. Something... something like...brine, a thousands spices from a thousand places she'll never be and something else that she had no word for, it was something she had never encountered in all her years, something she knew from this day forward it would only be associated with him. "Yes. Do come in." She murmured, turning away from him to fumble with her front door.

Without any other word, she opened the door to her cottage widely and motioned for him to come in. "This is it." She stated, a smile back on her face and a arm outstretched in a grand gesture as she presented her living room.

"Very nice." His eyes never left her.

Her face heated and she knew she was blushing. She looked down and then noticed there was something under his arm. He followed her gaze and started, as if suddenly remembered that there was something there.

"When we made port along our voyage I was in the market and this stuck out to me and I thought of you." He offered it to her.

She took it reluctantly and made a small noise. "I... I don't know what to say." She stuttered.

"What's to say? Open it!" His grin returned to his face.

She sat herself in an over stuffed chair, setting the package on her lap for a moment, studying it. The package was wrapped in brown paper with a piece of twine wrapping around it to hold it together a bow tie cheerfully sat at the top of the package. She tugged on end of one of the ties and the bow easily fell apart, she moved the paper and the twine away to reveal her gift.

"Is it..." She raised it up, revealing a woolen shawl that was heavy enough to take away the chill of the sea air at night time. It was dark blue, almost a near black and along it's edge there was a fine design in a blue just a few shades lighter, making a delicate pattern of hoops, swirls and the occasional flower. Never before had anyone she barely knew had given her such a wonderful gift.

"It's beautiful. Thank you. I just... don't understand why you would be giving this to me?" Her words came out breathy.

"I thought of you while I was on the voyage. It's been a long time that my mind wanders back to port that I've left." His grin widened, something akin to affection glowed in his eyes. "That makes you me favorite girl."

She smiled at his affection, at his last phrase. You're favorite girl, huh? Me and who else?" She retorted.

Shanks didn't even skip a beat with his reply. "I don't kiss and tell, Miss."

"Oh, really?" She licked her lips. "Well, you haven't even kissed **me** yet."

"That be true." He leaned over and planted his lips to hers, when he felt her respond, he flicked his tongue out and tasted her lips. "Tasty."

She blushed. "What does bring you here tonight?"

"I do not want to not spend the night with me favorite girl." He breathed, kneeling down, both hands on her arms and rubbing them up and down. "Can't blame me, can ya?"

She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "No, I don't think I can." She gave him a devilish grin that made him lean back slightly. "But I get to wear the hat." Makino declared.

Shanks looked at her with utter surprise, a grin slowly returning to his face as he shook his head in disbelief. "You drive a hard bargain."

"Captain, you found your way here I'm sure you can find your way home if you don't like my conditions."

He sighed and plopped his treasured straw hat on her. "For letting you touch my treasure... I better damned well see where you sleep!" He growled, his eyes and face betraying the growl with the mischief in them. She only laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Deal." She agreed, pulling his head back to hers, sealing that deal with a kiss.

**End.**

**Author's Note:** This is the prequel to my Last Night. This one was harder for me to write, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. I have at least one more idea for a Shanks/Makino fic but I think I want to give this couple a break right now and work on some other ideas I have. Thanks for reading. :)


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